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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462223">Over-Under</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turufuru/pseuds/Turufuru'>Turufuru</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sword Art Online (Anime &amp; Manga), ソードアート・オンライン - 川原礫 | Sword Art Online - Kawahara Reki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dating, Dom/sub Undertones, F/F, Shipping, Spoilers, Valentine's Day, Yuri</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:15:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462223</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turufuru/pseuds/Turufuru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Valentine's Day rolls around, and Llenn just so happens to accidentally let slip that she has no plans for the auspicious day. No amount of actual work nor protesting will stop Pitohui from pouncing on that chance, and she still has her rival's address from her letter; so a new duel between the two begins...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kanzaki Elsa | Pitohui/Kohiruimaki Karen | LLENN</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Over-Under</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>H-How had it come to this…?</p>
<p>Every time she so much as twitched, she could feel the sides of the box. Ugh, she was so obnoxiously tall… and, she couldn’t see a thing! Dark, cramped, and lonely… all the company she had was her heart thumping…</p>
<p>Karen heaved a huge sigh, in spite of her situation.</p>
<p>Now this brought back plenty of memories. But last time she had M yammering in her ear… w-well, actually, he barely did that most of the time. So, really, the only comforting thing she’d had then and not now was…</p>
<p>…this time, she wasn’t hiding behind LLENN.</p>
<p>Movement – she was sure she heard a door move.</p>
<p>She had to keep quiet now, or she’d definitely be found… ugh, as if anyone could miss her! Even in a box, she was still huge…</p>
<p>This had been a terrible idea… and then some.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How do you like this, Llenn? The newest patch added some guns really worthy drooling over… for once! Honestly, it’s been ages since they added any American revolvers; it’s all been Russian trash instead. This one, though, it’s a real legend… well, okay, not like a Single Action Army kind of legend, but it’s pretty damn cool.”</p>
<p>Alas, for all of Pito’s firearm know-how, it was almost entirely lost on Llenn. In fact, she had her earbuds in right now. She truly couldn’t comprehend that this was the same person as the soft-spoken idol, Elsa Kanzaki…</p>
<p>For once, Llenn had been dragged out of her usual haunt in the sunset-smothered desert, and instead found herself in one of Gun Gale Online’s newer areas. While the twilight sky above was the same as ever, here it made the snow look golden instead of making the shifting sands look pink. This snowy woodland gave quite the contrast to the usual barren wastelands and post-apocalyptic ruins that most of the game’s area’s centred on. Even though her pink camouflage was fairly useless here, she’d grown to quite like the alpine environment.</p>
<p>If she just forgot the guns and lore for a while, it felt like a little ski trip. She could happily see herself just exploring the wilderness and holing up in one of the old cabins… but, at least for now, any hopes of such a little quest would inevitably be interrupted by the traditional greeting in Gun Gale Online – a spray of bullets aimed at your head. Your life was always on the line in this world…</p>
<p>But… that was fun, too.</p>
<p>“Tada~! The Smith &amp; Wesson 686 Plus – a pretty fancy revolver from the 80s. This one has a six-inch barrel, and brings .357 rounds with it; so it makes for a lovely sidearm. The long barrel means far less recoil and wonderful accuracy, but you’re never going to conceal it. The stainless steel with a stain finish means that no amount of rain or snow will wear it down. It’s a little bland, I guess, but it’s a revolver among revolvers~”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there were some other drawbacks, such as listening to Pitohui gush on about her newest toys. Over time, Llenn had developed an appreciation for guns and their intricacies, but she was a long way away from waxing on and on like her usual compatriot. Not to say that she’d rather wait for their current monster quarry to respawn in silence, but a topic aside from ‘check out this new gimmicky gun’ would be nice. She was just going to go back to her KTR-09 in her next serious fight, anyway…</p>
<p>“You wanna know the best part? It’s got a secret up its cylinder, of course! It’s –“</p>
<p>“It’s got seven shots. I noticed when you were blasting away earlier. Um, it’s neat and all, but you also fired it while it was empty a few times, too…”</p>
<p>“Eh, you noticed already?! Geez, I was hoping I’d blow your head off with the extra bullet someday. Oh well! Yeah, I messed up a few times… tch. Any new gun is gonna have that problem.”</p>
<p>Thankfully, Pitohui didn’t seem too deflated as she sat down beside her comrade. The pair were perched on the side of a run-down log cabin’s porch, overlooking a steep cliff – it was a wonderful view, and it was well out of the way of most players’ paths. The wolf-like monsters around this side were obnoxious to fight head-to-head, as they hid in the snow before ambushing players and ganging up on them. However, that fit Pito and Llenn just fine… they’d just set their own traps and take them out one-by-one.</p>
<p>“But, you really have to try something other than that dinky P90, you know? Someday AGI builds are gonna get nerfed, and you’ll be left in the dust.”</p>
<p>Llenn finally took her earbuds out now that the gun lecture was over, looking up at Pitohui next to her. While they only felt a slight chill even in this environment, there was still that lovely feeling of warming up amidst the cold in virtual reality; so they’d each piled cold-weather clothes on top of their usual outfits. For Llenn, that just meant the first grey padded hoodie she could find with a scarf tossed on top, but for Pitohui that meant a huge white fur-lined coat that made her look even more like a supermodel.</p>
<p>Admittedly, Llenn wasn’t about to complain about Pitohui’s looks in any hurry. She did wish that Pitohui didn’t try and use it as an excuse for them to ‘huddle for warmth’ every ten minutes, though.</p>
<p>“Yeah, well… if it happens, it happens. I’ll still play.” She mused, just giving a shrug in return for Pito’s complaint; “Llenn is great as she is. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I still stuck with my P90 even after submachine guns got their penetration reduced last month, so I don’t know why you think I’d drop anything else just over some numbers.”</p>
<p>“Geez. Just you wait until the meta really roughs up. Someday, you’ll wake up and every other player is some huge tough guy, and you’ll be the only one losing because you’re left behind. It’s happened before! It’ll –”</p>
<p>But, Pito’s grumblings would be cut off by a familiar distant explosion – while the blast sent a wave of white powder into the air in this new area, it was still the same old destruction… particularly as it was followed by several more. A newbie might assume it was someone tossing out all their grenades in an awful hurry, but Llenn knew far better.</p>
<p>Unfortunately.</p>
<p>“…Anyway, as I was saying, it’ll…” …or so Pito tried to continue, but her words trailed off – she was soon talking to air, as the pink blur zoomed away. Even with that top on, she still looked like a pink streak of lightning. The scarf just made her look like some sort of super sentai hero when she was at full speed.</p>
<p>For now, Pitohui just watched, leaning down to rest on her side over the wooden porch. She didn’t need to babysit Llenn’s friends, anyway.</p>
<p>Nah. Just Llenn.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yet another explosion – and that meant… err, seven? Six? No, definitely seven… p-probably. Seven left! Give or take.</p>
<p>Fuka had gone through a rough time getting all the way out here – it was her first time in the new alpine area, and that meant no fast travel, no shortcuts, and no map! And her beloved comrades hadn’t even come over to pick her up, or anything! She hadn’t even found a vehicle… so, here she was, fighting six-legged wolves with grenade launchers! S-She didn’t even have any winter clothes! But, that was kind of the least of her problems right now…</p>
<p>She’d fought plenty of wolves in Alfheim Online, of course. But, there she had a sword. Swords took off arms with precision! Grenades took off all arms within range. And that’d be fine! Not having arms in GGO was a short-term problem. Not having arms while surrounded by wolf-ants was a considerably bigger problem, though.</p>
<p>And, maybe it was selfish, but she also liked having arms anyway.</p>
<p>Stomping through the snow along the incline with an unwieldy pace, she was forced to dive to the ground yet again as one of the three wolves she’d attracted lunged at her – thankfully, it whiffed by a good metre. Her small size was no good for climbing the slope, but it was good for getting cover in a hurry. A second one was already flying towards her, though; its three-pronged mouth opening, full of fangs – easy pickings. Using a grenade launcher as a blunt weapon wasn’t elegant, but it damn well worked just as well in GGO as in ALO!</p>
<p>While she was only met with a satisfying <em>thud</em> of a good whack rather than AFO’s iconic <em>cling</em> of a weak-point hit, the wolf sailed away just as well – but it was moving again in no time. Those six legs weren’t just for show, as it zoomed through the snow as if it was drilling through it. Ah, but more important than that… the third one was already…!</p>
<p>
  <em>Brzkzkzkzt!</em>
</p>
<p>And the wolf was dead. A thin line of pink digital bullet holes was drawn straight down its back, filled with bullets; as if it’d been cut in two by the streak of gunfire. And above – a pink bee flew overhead, before crashing into the snow after its mechanical buzzing.</p>
<p>“F-Finally! Geez, Llenn, did you wait until the last minute for fun?! GGO really has been a terrible influence on you… aah, my poor girl’s become a total wannabe…! And I thought Pito was obnoxious!”</p>
<p>Fuka’s wailing wasn’t answered with words, but just more bullets… albeit not in her direction. For all her speed, Llenn was slowed down considerably by the steep incline. The snow, plus her own short height made it terrible terrain for her; forcing her to take on one of the wolves straight away. Her submachine gun made short work of it thanks to the close range and her surprise attack, but she was losing ground… especially since the earlier explosions had drawn the attention of more of the monsters. This was exactly why Pito and her had been taking it so slow…</p>
<p>Finally, Fuka had a chance to draw her sidearm, and used the pistol to kill the third of the original trio of beasts. Llenn had put down the other two, but it was a hollow victory – five more were coming, a circle of gray shapes darting through the snow like sharks. They headed inwards, towards the pair as they waded uphill. Llenn checked her P90’s magazine, Fuka reloaded her right-handed MGL; a familiar chorus of plastic and steel clicks and clunks. They were well-armed, but for an ambush like this… it didn’t help much. They needed more of a plan...</p>
<p>“They’re too spread out for my grenades… I can maybe pick off two, but any more than that is up to you!”</p>
<p>“That’s no good… they stay so low in the snow that I can’t pick them off easily, even though they’re frail. Your explosives will work a lot better here. I can’t do better without a better angle…”</p>
<p>The six-legged arctic monsters circled closer. Their AI was simple, their health was meagre, and they had no armour… but, they were fast, easily attracted by gunfire or explosives, and lethal once in close range. Llenn might be able to deal with a few on her own, but Fuka didn’t stand a chance.</p>
<p>Even if she hopped across the snow, Llenn didn’t have confidence in getting a decent angle – she’d need to be above them to have a chance. Maybe they could get high enough and shoot downwards…? Ugh, why wasn’t Pitohui helping already?! She’d definitely be enough to tilt the scales here. If nothing else, she’d make a good footstool… a footstool.</p>
<p>Llenn glanced at Fuka – no, no no no, that was too stupid. Fuka was tiny, and so was she. She’d need to be a few feet in the air.</p>
<p>Alternative – she could bait some of the monsters and have Fuka blow a bunch of them up. They were spread out now, but if she baited them down the incline she might be able to get them to group up. It didn’t look like their AI was making them spread out; just their original positioning. Ah, hrm, but earlier, Fuka’s grenades had done such a poor job… all that snow really dampened their shrapnel and explosive power, it seemed. Throwing them might be better than launching them, unless all they wanted to do was toss snow around…</p>
<p>Hang on. “Fuka. How many grenades do you have spare?”</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, tonnes. Loaded, though? Uh… seven, I think? In Rightony here – probably… three? Two?”</p>
<p>“Good! Okay. There’s a snowdrift to our – err, to your four’o’clock. I’m going to rush over there. I want you to shoot a grenade into it. Okay? Don’t panic! It’s a plan! I think, anyway… after that, take out the… should be two of them left. At… two’o’clock, and six. Sort of. Sixish! Got it?”</p>
<p>“Um. That doesn’t sound like a plan.”</p>
<p>“We’ve got about four seconds to do it, so no explanations right now! I’m moving!”</p>
<p>Without waiting for another word, Llenn shot off; stomping over the snow – she couldn’t go at her full speed, but it was still a better pace than most players! It slowed as she approached the drift, though… the snow was thick, almost leaving her buried to her waist as she got in position. Just two seconds – she glanced at Fuka, standing about fifteen metres away. The blonde-haired girl gave her a truly astonished look, but did as she was told… the grenade came sailing towards her head with a signature <em>thoonk</em>.</p>
<p>Of all times for her aim to be decent…</p>
<p>“Pitohui better forgive me for stealing her prize… bye bye, Llenn. You died as you lived…”</p>
<p>Fuka didn’t even look at the explosion, turning her back on it to face the other foes – hopefully the plan worked. She was pretty sure it was too early for the blast to catch the two wolves there, even if they went for Llenn’s throat at once… wait, she was supposed to be – wrong ones! Oh no! D-Did Llenn give her the wrong order, or…?!</p>
<p>Ah… the Pink Devil flew once more.</p>
<p>Tossed up on a plume of white, Llenn dove through the air – she was clearly heavily damaged, but she was high above; at least four or five metres… which gave her an exceptional view of those beasts. The six-legged hounds had their flanks buried in snow, but not their backs, as Llenn had demonstrated earlier. A familiar buzz of short bursts of gunfire – one, two, three – her mag announced its end with a click, just in time… a ridiculous strategy.</p>
<p>Fuka didn’t waste any time once she realised what was going on, though. Two shots, two targets; no problems… in fact, she reckoned she could do it in one! She bided her time, and as the sharks of the snow shot towards her through the powder she caught the moment they almost crossed over – just out of range of her. <em>Thoonk…</em> the explosion was muffled by the snow, but two bodies were thrown aside. Nailed it…!</p>
<p>Unfortunately – things hadn’t gone perfectly to plan. Llenn landed… and the third hound whizzed by her, towards Fuka. Her magazine had run out too early. Fuka wouldn’t have time to aim her pistol again, and Llenn couldn’t reload that fast, especially while still regaining her posture.</p>
<p>Dammit. She spent ages trekking here, and now she was going to lose it all to some meaningless monsters. What an embarrassment.</p>
<p>Fuka reached up to her head as she felt the miliseconds tick by, drawing the knife from her hair – it wasn’t a decent weapon, but it’d be quicker than swinging her grenade launcher. That dog would close the distance too fast…!</p>
<p>
  <em>Crack ---!</em>
</p>
<p>A gunshot – an extremely high-powered gunshot. Fuka only heard the <em>thunk</em> of the bullet a second after she saw it shred the monster’s head right before her eyes… and only after <em>that</em> did she feel the sharp pain through her shoulder. A hole as big as her (admittedly puny) fist was in her shoulder… “P-Pitohui…?! Just one inch off, and that would’ve…!”</p>
<p>“Ahahaha, sorry, sorry! Gotta take the shot when you see it, right? Hey, I saved you guys, so it’s all good, right~?”</p>
<p>The usual. The team-killing demon from so long ago hadn’t changed one bit. Well, no… she had avoided killing anyone this time, but – Fuka was just an obstruction, not an ally. Still sitting up above, she now looked all too smug, resting a rifle over her shoulders. Thankfully, it wasn’t the monstrous one she’d fallen in love with previously, but instead a slightly more practical TAC-50. Only slightly, though… it was still an anti-materiel rifle, and its effective firing range was meant to be 1.8km, not forty metres…</p>
<p>“Ugh… it’s okay, I’ll live! D-Don’t look so intense, Llenn…” Indeed, the Pink Devil was looked particularly firey right now – maybe it was the close victory, or maybe it was her teammate’s antics… but, she calmed down as she injected Fuka with one of the medkits. Her health was down to just a fifth from that shot, but it soon began to steadily refill on Llenn’s heads-up-display. Phew… but, before that…</p>
<p>“See, all good, all good. Pitohui, you have to learn to watch your trigger. I think if you’d shot me through the head there, Llenn would take your head off next!”</p>
<p>“Oh, for real?! I’ve got another round! Let’s find out -!”</p>
<p>Up above from the wooden porch, Pitohui swung her rifle’s barrel back down towards Fuka – but, she didn’t take the ‘joke’ any further. Her target froze for just a second… before heaving a massive sigh, as Pitohui merely gave a teasing wave. “Ooh, see, that was fun! I prefer hunting players, but this isn’t so bad~”</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>With Fuka’s health finally in a reasonable state and the surrounding foes thinned out, the trio were left to plop themselves down by the cabin again – the previous scuffle had given another team the chance to take their original target, leaving them once again biding their time for the next hunt. Thankfully, none of them particularly minded; even Pito – despite her vile sense of comradery, she did seem to genuinely like Fuka’s company. Or, maybe she just liked the chance to gang up on Llenn.</p>
<p>“So, did you two hear about the leak on the next update? It might be fake, but it’s in line with GGO’s usual events. No new gear – sorry Pito – but, doubling team bounties will make the weekend a real bloodbath out in the wilds.”</p>
<p>Pito merely shrugged, looking bored by the news. Truth be told, she didn’t keep up with GGO’s roadmap or updates that much – she liked to just experience things as they showed up. “Eh… I don’t need more cash. Hunting players is fun, but I can’t get into it without a proper competition. Besides, I’ve got work for the weekend…”</p>
<p>Usually, it was considered a faux pas to talk so much about their real lives, but after what they’d been through… this had become a more and more common event amongst their team; M included. Pitohui especially seemed to appreciate being able to vent about her idol woes, though Fuka often thought she was just trying to rub it in.</p>
<p>“Ah, right, right. Of course, Pitohui-chan would have ‘work’ to do on Valentines~” teased Fuka, earning a little jolt of surprise from Llenn, while Pitohui just rolled her eyes – albeit with an amused grin.</p>
<p>“Oh, you know how it is. I get tonnes of fan mail, and M always wants some attention, and whatever other date might be pining after me… but, editing takes time, so I don’t really care about it. I can do that sort of thing anytime, so I’d rather get some more work done.” The lady gave a troubled sigh… but her grin made it clear she was far from bothered by such attention. Instead, her sharp eyes soon shot onto Llenn’s face – “Hey, so what about the tall bombshell here? How many dates do you have lined up, huh~?”</p>
<p>Llenn couldn’t help but give Pitohui a flat look for such a question, even though she knew she shouldn’t rise to such bait. “Pass. I forgot Valentines was even coming up. I’ll be doing college work… ah, no, right. I’ve got some family stuff, too… and, Fuka, weren’t you coming around that weekend?”</p>
<p>“Nah, had to cancel. Didn’t your sister’s family go on vacation, though? You should have the place to yourself! Party it up, live the single life! No guy could keep up with the Pink Devil, anyway.”</p>
<p>“Right, live the single life. The bachelorette dream.”</p>
<p>A pause. Llenn was briefly lost in thought, thinking about what she’d do… playing GGO was an option, but… eh. Hrm. Something about that felt bad, on Valentines.</p>
<p>No no, that bad feeling was something else. Hm.</p>
<p>Ah.</p>
<p>That’d be it, that huge, leering grin that Pitohui currently had on her face.</p>
<p>“Ohoho. Ohohohohoho. Uhuhuhu~!”</p>
<p>Llenn felt a wave of dread flow through her as she realised what she’d just walked into. No, even Pito’s depraved giggling wasn’t her main worry; instead it was a much deeper despair.</p>
<p>“In~ that~ case~! I think my editing can wa~ait~!” chirped the lady, the ‘Grim Reaper’, the ‘Demon King’; both names that felt especially appropriate right now; “I think I shall finally give my <em>murderer</em> a visit! Now that she’s <em>finally</em> free, I think it’d be lovely for Llenn-chan to have her beloved Pitohui around~ Uhuhuhu~”</p>
<p>Llenn didn’t even bother shooting a glare to Fuka – in fact, the blonde was gradually retreating; shuffling across the end of the cabin porch. The killer rabbit knew she was already trapped… but, she had to grasp at some hint of hope. “Ah – u-um, well! Nope! I’m busy! Honest! Family! Stuff, and other – stuff! College!”</p>
<p>“College is on break, Llenn-chan~! I’ve been paying close attention~ So, no more excuses. In fact, I’m showing up anyway. I can imagine it now…” A blush appeared on Pitohui’s face, in spite of her gruff avatar’s looks; “I sneak in, slipping through the door, only to have Llenn-chan throw me to the ground, holding a kitchen knife to my throat – <em>‘Pitohui, promise to forget everything you’ve seen today, or I’ll slit you open like a pig!’</em> Ahahah, and I’ll say – <em>‘L-L-Llenn-chan… b-but, I can’t forget this moment we’ve had together…!’</em>”</p>
<p>Llenn kind of wanted to throw up. Part of her was dreading it, part of her was resigned to it, and part of her was just tired of Pito’s blabbering. No, actually, she didn’t want to throw up, she just wanted to shoot Pito in the face right now. But! That’d just satisfy her more… ugh. “I’ll just lock my door, thanks… Pitohui, s-seriously, don’t do that. It’d be weird. My place is boring, anyway. You should focus on your work…”</p>
<p>For some reason, a really weak excuse was all that came out of her mouth, and was met only with that familiar sneer. That was when she knew her fate was sealed…</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sure, no one was shooting at her in reality (so far), but right now it felt far less safe than Gun Gale Online.</p>
<p>“D-Do I make something special for dinner? No no, that’d just encourage her… maybe we could just go out somewhere instead? I could say my room’s being professionally cleaned? But I already said I’d be free, so… fire? Could be a fire…”</p>
<p>It was pathetic, and she knew it. Pacing around her bedroom on just the afternoon before Valentines, she still had no idea of how to handle the situation. She didn’t get anxious like this in real life that often… usually she just kept it all inside, and held the world at arms’ length; but right now… it was all tumbling out. Maybe LLENN was leaking through at long last.</p>
<p>Or, maybe she was just… worrying about it in a different way.</p>
<p>Pitohui was scary. W-Well, Elsa was scary. Not very scary, definitely not in real life. And, she’d trounced her twice in virtual reality too. Pitohui, who carved through squad with sadistic glee, had even said she was <em>scared</em> of <em>Karen.</em> Well, of Llenn. So… she wasn’t sure she was scared. At worst, she already told Pito – Elsa – that she wasn’t sure about all this. She was an adult! She could just close the door, and say that she wasn’t free. She could make something up, and just get over it.</p>
<p>But. She kind of… didn’t want to say no.</p>
<p>Slumping down to sit on the edge of her bed, Karen finally grappled with that inconvenient truth that was buried under her complaints. She whined, she bickered, she fought; but… she liked Pitohui. She’d always liked Pitohui. And so, she liked Elsa. Even beyond the Kanzaki Elsa everyone else knew. And, they’d had so few chances to meet up since then… Karen was too shy to ask given Elsa was an idol, and Elsa was no doubt always so busy – the chances of her being free <em>and</em> in the same city were no doubt perilously low. It just made this chance all the more important…</p>
<p>So, having her come to her place wasn’t… bad. But, what would she want? What would she think of her? She definitely couldn’t just let that tiny girl walk all over her…</p>
<p>“Uuugh… this is so stupid. I’m not some anxious schoolgirl anymore, so why is this such a pain…? I should just be natural…”</p>
<p>There was no way Elsa was going to tolerate her being natural, though. She’d learnt that the hard way! In spite of herself, Karen reached a hand up to her chin; feeling her cheeks flush at the memory… b-b-but she shouldn’t get caught up in that! T-The point was, if she let Elsa take the reins, she’d definitely be bowled over… and then some… a-and, she wasn’t some deviant like M!</p>
<p>
  <em>“Right, Karen-<strong>chan</strong>~?”</em>
</p>
<p>The memory sent a tingle down her spine. Having her idol wrapped around her shoulders had definitely been a shock, but it’d also been kind of…</p>
<p>Anyway, that wasn’t an option!</p>
<p> Letting herself flop backward, Karen stared up at the ceiling, hopelessly searching for an easier answer. Maybe… maybe she should call Miyu. She already knew this chaos was brewing, and she’d definitely take the chance to tease Karen about it, but… at least she’d always be on her side.</p>
<p>She hesitated. It felt like giving in.</p>
<p>But, she wouldn’t have gotten this far without Miyu’s help, so it was silly to act like that.</p>
<p>Lazily, she reached across to her end table for her phone – only to find it buzzing before she reached it. Had Miyu read her mind? Or was she calling her up to tease her? A trickle of extra dread dripped down her spine… one more anxiety for the pile.</p>
<p>However – while the same song of Elsa’s played as usual, the name on her phone’s screen was different: <em>Asougi Goushi</em>. </p>
<p>“Hello? Err, this is Kohiruimaki Karen… I’m guessing this is about tomorrow…”</p>
<p>“Yes, this is Asougi. That’s right.” The familiar, frank voice; albeit with a far softer tone than he portrayed in Gun Gale Online. “I’m just checking your address. I’d rather not deal with Elsa chucking a tantrum in front of me over just getting the wrong door. And, I don’t think you’d like that, either.”</p>
<p>While Karen didn’t like to get too involved with Goushi after becoming aware of his… more eccentric behaviours, she did know that she could trust his word. And, if anyone knew Elsa, then it’d be him. F-For better or worse. She still wasn’t thrilled that he knew her address, but oh well.</p>
<p>However, while he described her address in case she needed to correct it, her mind was elsewhere – maybe M was the right ally in this case. And, more than that, hang on –</p>
<p>“Oh, Asougi-san… does that mean you’re coming too?”</p>
<p>“Hm? I’ll just be dropping off her bags. She’s heading to another prefecture the day after, so she has a lot packed. Well, most of it will be empty then. I’ll be spending the day handling her schedule, but I’ll also be doing her laundry for our trip so far and filling out all the paperwork for our next step.”</p>
<p>Made sense. Admittedly, she wasn’t sure if Elsa was kept more in check by Goushi, or if she’d rather not see the pair together given how well she knew their relationship; so she wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse.</p>
<p>“…you’re being quite quiet. Are you still worried about this?” Goushi’s calm, low voice was surprisingly reassuring despite Karen’s misgivings – memories of their first Squad Jam together came back to her. Regardless of how she felt about his, err, motivations, he was a steadfast ally. A steadfast friend. “Elsa said you were panicking. She was rather thrilled about it.”</p>
<p>“Eh? W-Well… I’m not used to having an idol show up at my apartment, to say the least!”</p>
<p>“Understandable. I assure you she’d better behave than you think, but… hm, that’s probably a topic for another time. You’re tougher than you think, though. You defeated Pitohui, remember? You should try and approach this as Llenn, not Karen.”</p>
<p>The advice was simple, and it wasn’t a revelation or anything, but it wasn’t a bad idea. If she’d beaten Elsa in GGO, surely she could do it in reality too, right? She might not have a gun – but Elsa didn’t either. It was an even playing field! Well… even enough. Even enough for LLENN, that’s for sure!</p>
<p>A flicker of fire started in Karen’s heart; an uncharacteristic passion she hadn’t tempered outside of GGO before (outside of karaoke). She had to win, and she definitely could win… she just needed a strategy.</p>
<p>What would Llenn do…?</p>
<p>A decisive attack. An ambush. Karen wasn’t agile, but she could still use surprise. That’d put Elsa on the backfoot… she’d won once, so this would be making things even! E-Err, not that she was going to kiss her, b-but, she’d catch her off-guard. Something to remind her that Karen was in charge… she was older, after all! She was pretty sure she was older. If nothing else, she <em>was</em> taller. S-She didn’t really lord that over anyone usually, but right now… she had to work with what she had.</p>
<p>Erk. But, she couldn’t imagine using it against Elsa. That’d just be bullying… so, she’d have to focus on surprise instead. Hrm…</p>
<p>“Right! Right right right! Yes, thank you! Goushi, that’s it! Um – I mean, can you – do me a favour? Consider it… payback, right?”</p>
<p>A sly smile. Perhaps uncharacteristic of her, but… it did feel good. Maybe Pito really was having fun with all her sneering and scheming. But more importantly than that…</p>
<p>It was time to let the Pink Devil return…!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Okaaaay, now – scram! Go! Bye bye!”</p>
<p>Really, it was a miracle that Karen’s apartment building was so quiet for Valentines, as she didn’t even need to be present for Elsa to start causing a scene – in this case, loudly and brusquely ushering away her poor lackey with as much dignity as usual.</p>
<p>“Get lost! It’ll be weird if you’re there to bother Karen! It’s just me time now! Don’t give me that look! You got Valentines last year – well, year before that, but you know!” snapped the tiny girl, barely paying attention to Goushi’s hauling of several oversized trunks up to the door; “Geez, geez! If Karen saw this, she’ll be mortified! You already stalked her! Ugh!”</p>
<p>“I’m – fairly sure she’d already know by now –“ wheezed the young man, finally setting down all the cases… and raising an eyebrow at his unlikely boss. And how was she going to… no, best not to underestimate her. “Sorry about the wait. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p>
<p>And, with just that, Goushi gave a bow and left Elsa to her own devices. Usually he’d case the building a bit too, but he had some faith in Karen’s common sense after their previous meeting. And, right now, he just wanted to linger in this moment. Seeing Elsa all dressed up was its own reward.</p>
<p>But, even after that brief explosion, Elsa just gave the door a polite knock, and waited. A full three seconds, too! Wearing her black skirt and white blouse from her last tour, she hoped to leave a particularly good impression… all the better way to sneak her way into Karen’s good books, before taking whatever she wanted! “Good day~ It’s Kanzaki Elsa, here to see Kohiruimaki Karen~” chirped the girl, putting on her visage of an angel, as shallow as it might be; “I hope I haven’t come at a bad time…~”</p>
<p>However, her audience was silent. Another whole three seconds! What kind of saint did Karen think she was, huh?! She’d give a huff, and then just turn the handle – “Okay! I’m coming in!” – still with that serene tone, just looking far more criminal as she threw the door open. Err, threw the door open?</p>
<p>The door swung open, unlocked… there was a pang of worry in Elsa, but as she peeked in she saw the room was spotless. So, a horrible crime wasn’t likely, thankfully… and, either Karen had cleaned up just for her (darn, she’d betted on her room being a trash heap), or she’d snuck out for the day. “Hmph! I see… seriously. Haaah…”</p>
<p>Giving such a sigh, Elsa glanced at her luggage – she’d just have to wait for Karen to come back, then! But that meant she had to handle all her gear alone… oh well, she was no pushover. It took some serious tugging and squeaking, but she got it all in. Thank goodness for wheels, or else she’d never move them. All her costumes were vitally important… as were all her skincare. She was an idol, after all. And, showing off to Karen was a bonus too~</p>
<p>Still, she was left wheezing after dragging them inside, closing the door – and locking it – before collapsing on the soft carpet, draped across the wooden floor. It was a nice place, but… so spotless. It was hard for her to get a taste of Karen’s lifestyle like this! Or maybe she genuinely took such good care of her place… was that what it was like to live in an apartment? How scary. Well, in any case, she clearly had to take more serious measures…</p>
<p>“Oh Karen-chan~ Are you sleeping in~? Oh, or waiting for me… oh my, oh my~” teased the girl obnoxiously – she hoped for a reaction, but she also considered it fair warning. Sounded like Karen wasn’t in her bedroom! “So… while the rabbit’s away, the snake shall play~”</p>
<p>
  <em>Thump.</em>
</p>
<p>Elsa merely glanced over her shoulder – ugh, her trunk had fallen over after all that work. Whatever! She could deal with it later. For now, she had some snooping to do! Not bothering with a hint of stealth or respect, the idol just marched straight into Karen’s bedroom. The door was ajar, so it was like an invitation! She’d never know, anyway. “Hmhmhm, wonder if she has anything adventurous… too bad, too bad; Goushi doesn’t get to take part in the panty raid!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Thump.</em>
</p>
<p>“Let’s~ get to know~ Kar- <strong>eh?”</strong></p>
<p>
  <em>Thump.</em>
</p>
<p>Elsa’s little song halted. Slowly turning around, she stared at her luggage… a thought was trickling through her mind, but it was far, far too slow. Her brain knew what was happening, but her mind hadn’t caught up. And so, as the shadow fell across her, all she could do was gawk.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Was she…? Was she <em>seriously…?!</em></p>
<p>Karen had spent the last hour or so in this stupid box beating herself up about how bad an idea it was – but now, now she knew why she did it. <em>This</em> was why. Because her guest was an obnoxious brat! She was a little crummy sneak! A creep! A depraved little devil!</p>
<p>Karen thumped her fists the sides of the trunk, awkwardly hauling herself around to put her back and shoulder against the top – now she could get some elbow grease in. She could feel the catches… yep, as Goushi promised, they were just loose enough.</p>
<p>“You… just you wait…!” grunted the girl, finally finding a use for her height – she was going to make Elsa wish she’d never played with the Pink Devil! And – w-what was that she was saying now?! A-A-A <em>what</em> raid?! She doubled her efforts, heaving against the heavy suitcase’s top. Just a little more! “You, you, you…”</p>
<p>Finally, with a metallic clatter, the latches flicked up – and the beast that had been sealed away was released! From the trunk that had been almost its owner’s size arose Karen, towering over her mortified guest with a look of utmost rage (well, just a bit of utmost rage, she wasn’t really as expressive as Llenn). She clenched her fists, heaved a fiery breath, and let every hint of spite bubble up in her heart –</p>
<p>“Y-You… <strong><em>you little brat, Pitohui…!!!”</em></strong></p>
<p>
  <em>“K-KKYAAAAA!”</em>
</p>
<p>While Karen was pretty sure she wasn’t that intimidating, Elsa <em>definitely</em> thought she was right now – the tiny girl looked terrified. And, maybe she had good reason to. Ambushed all alone by a girl twice her height in the midst of a (petty) crime… she was undoubtedly doomed. The idol squealed as she was tackled to the floor by her arch-enemy, chest heaving as she stared up at Karen in shock – big! <em>Big!</em></p>
<p>“I can’t believe you! You charged into my room without even calling me, or waiting, or anything; and then started snooping about the place! A-And you were planning to just barge into my <em>bedroom</em>, too?! W-What kind of guest are you?! I barely agreed to let you come in the first place, and then you act like this! You’re such a creep! I-I-I thought you’d cooled down at least a little bit, but you’re as bad as ever!”</p>
<p>In spite of her usual composure and cool head, Karen was left ranting in frustration – albeit, her tone was still rather restrained, and her pace was rather slow… she really wasn’t good at giving an intimidating impression, even in person. But – it seemed to be working on Elsa. The smaller girl was still shivering with fright, eyes wide as she stared up at her nemesis. Pinned to the floor, she looked nothing like the infamous killer Pitohui – instead, she just looked like a kitten that had been pounced by a lioness.</p>
<p>“And, I thought – you know, Fuka said that you weren’t like that! T-Talking about sneaking through my… my, my <em>stuff</em>, that’s – you’re meant to be over that! I’m not – I-I’m not like Goushi, you know! I’m a proper lady! Look, just because I like you, doesn’t always mean that I… like everything! So, show some respect! Especially in my home!”</p>
<p>Karen loomed over the sitting girl as she continued to complain; her tone now becoming more of a scolding sister’s than an aggravated neighbour’s. But yet, Elsa was still mortified, her breath fast and heavy.</p>
<p>“You should have at least called! You didn’t even tell me what time you were coming! I only knew thanks to Goushi! If you’d just shown up without me knowing, I could’ve been in terrible shape, or not even here! W-With the door locked, I mean! Then what would you do? S-Seriously, you’re a real worry…!”</p>
<p>Despite Karen’s tone cooling down even more as her complaints turned from annoyance to concern, the smaller girl was still looking really rough. Trembling, with teary eyes, and panting with shock, blushing brightly, and unable to raise a hint of resistance… err, wait…</p>
<p>Now, it was Karen’s turn for her eyes to go wide, and for her to begin to blush. <em>Oh no.</em></p>
<p>Elsa stared at her, clearly knowing that Karen had recognised just what she’d done. A drunken smile of delight greeted her. <em>Oh yes!</em></p>
<p>It was too late.</p>
<p>For Pitohui, even a loss to Llenn was a win.</p>
<p>And now, for the rest of her life, she’d have to live with it.</p>
<p>The image of her, the towering Karen, pinning a blushing Kanzaki Elsa to the floor; was something the deviant idol would treasure forever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hmhmhm, and you say you <em>didn’t</em> plan this? I find that haaaaard to believe, Karen-<em>chaaan~!”</em></p>
<p>“Really, I’m sorry… um, I just sort of… look, it didn’t really… it just kind of happened…!”</p>
<p>Things had improved – barely. Karen was now sitting up comfortably, and not on top of Elsa… instead, Elsa was currently sitting on <em>her.</em> It was still very embarrassing, but… well, she was a small girl, so it wasn’t so bad. And, she was… you know, cute, in spite of everything, so… it wasn’t so bad. It was fine! It was just… fine…</p>
<p>“Mm hm, and you just happened to wear one of your comfy, just-a-touch-too-tight sweaters, right? Totally not showing off?”</p>
<p>“I-I’ve got no one to show off to!”</p>
<p>She wasn’t entirely wrong – Karen did have a hard time finding clothes that fit her, given her height. And she did like her sweaters. But that was because it was still cold, and she liked how they looked! Modest, but fashionable. And they still fit fairly well even when she grew a little bit… u-ugh, well, okay, she probably had a point. She’d had to replace her yellow one a few months ago with her current rimmed white one, though she’d kept the jeans.</p>
<p>“Oooh, so Karen-<em>chan</em> just wanted to show off to me… throw me to the ground, and crawl all over me? Something like that? Aaah, I’ve been missing out for so long… or, is this all because Karen-chan got so pent up?! Mm, good thing I didn’t wait longer, or maybe you would’ve copied Llenn by tearing my throat out instead -!”</p>
<p>“No no no! Seriously, E-Elsa, just… I was just annoyed! I… I am sorry. It was stupid. But, I’m really not… into all that stuff.”</p>
<p>Giving a little sigh, the idol turned about on Karen’s lap to glance up at her properly, rather than having to peek over her shoulder – “Okay, okay. See, I forgive you. Goushi’s definitely not as comfy a seat as you, so this is pretty luxurious. As an idol should be handled, you see. Mm, when she’s not being thrown to the ground by a sexy babe, anyway~!”</p>
<p>Karen could only sigh in regret and resignation… she was going to have to put up with this for a while, wasn’t she? If not the rest of her life. Oh well, it could definitely have gone worse. Glancing down at Elsa, she gave a tiny smile to herself. Having her idol on her lap… was a pretty good ending, all things considered. Even hearing that squeaky was Elsa always said her honourific was kind of cozy today. It was all rather welcome, despite all the embarrassment… especially given the date.</p>
<p>Though she didn’t really notice it, she gently wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, on instinct – Elsa barely gave a response besides a tiny self-satisfied smile.</p>
<p>“Um… well, I’m glad it was at least… a fun, introduction. So… no chocolate, but kinda… Happy Valentines, Pito.”</p>
<p>And, unsurprisingly, silence. Karen expected a biting response, but Elsa was too genuinely surprised to give one at first. Not that she’d show it! But, after a moment of thought, she’d just relax in Karen’s grasp; instead letting the silence continue to hang in the air for a few more seconds… she liked the thought of leaving Karen time to rethink her words, just in case.</p>
<p>“…Um, I mean… Elsa.”</p>
<p>No excuse or takeback, even after that! Elsa’s eyes narrowed, and a familiar devilish smirk painted her face – “Uhuhu, Valentines, is it? Oh, poor Karen-<em>chan,</em> I understand now!” purred the girl eagerly, rubbing her hands together with glee; “Aw, you poor thing, you poor poor thing… trying so hard, all for me. I guess it adds up that you’d try and suck up to your beloved idol…!”</p>
<p>Karen just tilted her head in confusion, although she felt a wave of dread. This was just a bit too silly to be threatening. Was she just planning to kiss her again? T-That’d be… s-sudden, but not… terrible…</p>
<p>Elsa merely stood up, and stepped away from Karen, before turning around again with her hands on her hips. “It’s okay! I understand. I get what you’re trying to tell me.” Declared the short girl, giving a sharp nod – before matching Karen’s gaze with eye full of fire. She only had a second or two to defend herself – then, the kitten was pouncing upon the lioness with untold fury.</p>
<p>Despite the size difference, Karen was in no state to raise a hand in reply – especially while she was still burning with embarrassment over her own goofing around. But, looking up at the idol currently straddling her… t-this felt a lot less, err, playful! She was so light and soft… t-tch. Karen’s cheeks grew red, and she still couldn’t find the power in her to raise a hand in resistance.</p>
<p>“Mm, if you don’t like to be on top all the time… that’s okay, Karen-<em>chan!”</em></p>
<p>“Uuuugh… that’s, that’s really not what I meant…”</p>
<p>And yet again, the angel’s face was coloured by a devil’s smile –</p>
<p>“Ahaha… well, my Karen, right now, I feel like I should run away home, and tell Goushi aaaaaall about this, and maybe our good friend Fuka too~ The world should know how scaaaary and horrible the ‘Pink Devil’ is in person; luring cute defenceless girls into her apartment and throwing them around…!”</p>
<p>Karen’s face turned from red to white – she didn’t really care if Goushi knew, and she didn’t truly care that Elsa knew. But the thought of Miyu knowing… that sent a wave of dread washing over her. She’d never shut up about it… Karen, the Yuri Beast, who pinned the supposed ‘death god’ to the floor. N-No, worse than that, who threw the priceless idol Elsa Kanzaki to the floor, and, a-and…</p>
<p>“Buuuut, maybe if you’re a good girl and play nice with your amazing guest, then I think I might be motivated to keep it a little secret!” chirped the smaller girl, as if blackmail was as casual a matter as introducing her next album; “How does that sound? Not so bad~? I’m no ‘Demon King’, I’m just the lovely idol, Elsa, so you can trust me~”</p>
<p>All that said with such an unbelievably untrustworthy face. Karen could only wince… she really didn’t have any option here! But… that was, kind of, okay with her… w-well, it was just important to focus on the bright side, right? So, spending some time with Pitohui – and her favourite idol – that wasn’t unpleasant, by any stretch. And… lying here, with a cute girl sitting on her… it wasn’t so bad. Her size felt a little less… needless.</p>
<p>“I’m not hearing a ‘no’~”</p>
<p>Karen glanced up at that obnoxious grin. Slanderous, bratty, childish, selfish, devious, cruel, depraved;</p>
<p>and particularly cute.</p>
<p>“…It’s fine. I’ll play with you for tonight, Elsa…”</p>
<p>The lady’s soft tone made the idol in question pause, losing her mischievous smirk for just a moment.</p>
<p>“…Just don’t complain to me if you get more than you bargained for.”</p>
<p>Looking down at Karen, wearing her snug sweater, with her braided black hair slipped over her shoulder; now with a gentle, ever-so-slightly satisfied smile – Elsa suddenly remembered how gorgeous her Valentine was. Llenn was cute, but Karen was… beautiful.</p>
<p>A sharp gulp, alongside anything but a smirk.</p>
<p>Maybe… she’d messed with the wrong rabbit again.</p>
<p>“You’re… y-you’re not thinking about tearing my throat out again or something, r-right?”</p>
<p>Karen didn’t answer with anything besides the same smile.</p>
<p>“Don’t look so smug! I can see you plotting! What are you plotting, Karen-chan? Young ladies like you shouldn’t be up to no good!”</p>
<p>An arm slowly curled around Elsa’s back, earning a little shiver from the girl. She was… rather small compared to Karen, and that single arm was more than enough to drag her closer. Close enough to squeeze against her Valentine; the curves of her sweater, the cozy warmth, and the scent of apple shampoo…</p>
<p>…and, the sensation of Karen’s heart gently thumping, completely calm. N-No, the only person whose heart was pounding was…</p>
<p>She was melting – totally melting. S-She couldn’t hold a finger up against Karen’s mature charm! Elsa squirmed for just a second, but she was far too late for it to be remotely convincing as resistance, earning just a chuckle from her date. “U-Ugh, this is…” whined Elsa, shimmying in the embrace to get comfy before giving in entirely; “Not fair, Karen-chan…”</p>
<p>“Mm? What was that, Elsa?” asked the lady, squeezing the smaller girl a little tighter – who couldn’t even offer any resistance to the affection beyond a cutesy squeak of protest. Instead, she just began to feel a bit drowsy… “Did you really just want to be pampered after all that huffing and puffing? Seriously… you’re as old as me, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>“S-Shush! I’m an idol, Karen; I get whatever I want!” Elsa whined and pouted, but still continued to droop in her date’s embrace; like a ragdoll cat in its owner’s arms. She couldn’t help it… so warm and comfy! M could never offer her anything like this. This was what they called the power of an onee-san, wasn’t it? Ridiculous!</p>
<p>“Shh… look, if you just be good and behave, then I promise not to tell anyone…”</p>
<p>“That’s – that’s not fair… that sort of thing isn’t going to worry me!”</p>
<p>“Ah… do you want to just go home, then?”</p>
<p>“G-Guh…”</p>
<p>Finally, Elsa gave a sigh… and, perked up again. Well, this was fine. She lost the first Squad Jam, she could lose the first Valentine. No no, that wasn’t quite right! “Hm… okay. Let’s call it even.” Mused the idol, looking up at Karen. The other girl gave a weak sigh, but a smile – at least until Elsa continued. “Well – until next time!”</p>
<p>She’d just been getting over her nerves, and now there was all this fuss again. But, as Elsa – and, through it, Pitohui – smirked at her, Karen’s heart caught alight; properly, this time. “Right, right.” Mumbled the taller girl, rolling her eyes… before they narrowed again, and her grip grew less doting and more firm –</p>
<p>“Round two, then?”</p>
<p>“E-Erk…!” </p>
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